The Birds of Wyoming. 75 



one specimen had been taken on Green river. With the ex- 

 ception of Coues' data there is no absolute evidence that this 

 species has ever been found in Wyoming. Coues remarks 

 on p. 346 (Birds of the North West) : "It is apparently not 

 common in the interior of the west, and even less so than has 

 been supposed, a part of the quoted instances like Dr. Hay- 

 den's, for instance, really referring to the next species, the 

 history of which has only recently been disentangled from 

 that of the true Pigeon Hawk." 



On account of its rarity it is not necessary to go into de- 

 tail as to its food habits ; but simply understand that it feeds 

 almost entirely upon other birds. 



358. Falco richardsonii Ridgw. 

 Richardson's Merlin. 



Probably a summer resident, but there are no breeding 

 records. Locally it is quite abundant, and during mild winters 

 probably remains during the coldest weather. There is one 

 record of it being taken as late as Nov. 27th on the Laramie 

 plains. Fisher (Hawks and Owls of the United States, p. 

 114) has the following to say of its food habits: 



"This Falcon is so closely related to the Pigeon Hawk, 

 the main difference being its lighter color, that it is with the 

 greatest hesitation that the writer treats of it separately, es- 

 pecially as intermediate specimens are at hand. So far as 

 known there is nothing in the food, nesting, or other habits 

 in which it differs in the least respect from the Pigeon Hawk, 

 and what is said under the latter bird applies equally well to 

 the former." 



Coues reports specimens that were taken at La Bonte 

 creek, Green river and the Sweetwater river. Dr. Jesurun 

 has four skins in his collection that were taken near Douglas 

 on the following dates: May 16, 1893; Sept. 24, 25 and Oct. 

 9, 1894. Pie reports them as very common along the Platte 

 river. In the university collection there is a single skin that 

 was taken on the Laramie plains, Nov. 2j, 1895. 



